Friday, January 14, 2005

Notre Dame de Lourdes Hospital

Notre Dame de Lourdes Hospital used to be the best but most expensive hospital in Baguio. It is all now just a history since all its buildings were condemned after the devastating earthquake that happened in 1990. It used to be run by St. Paul's nuns.

Personally, I thought it was a perfect place to stay while you are sick or recuperating from any medical illness. It had a very massive front yard planted with different varieties of roses and other beautiful flowers. I have been a patient there on several occasions and I must say that I never hated hospitals at all if they were all like Notre Dame. It is where my sister expired while suffering from leukemia, my grandmother while she had a stroke. I could go on and on.

Just before the day starts, you could hear the singing of the nuns in the chapel. They start early too and early I meant 5:00 in the morning. They meals served weren't bad considering. The air is crisp in the mornings and the sunshine you badly need is in abundance.

In one of its wings, the right wing to be exact, Benguet Laboratories used to rent that portion from Notre Dame. Benguet Laboratories was owned by then Benguet Corporation. This is the reason why all miners from Benguet Corporation enjoyed the privilege of staying in the best hospital in Baguio City. The economic dependency of the hospital was partly attributed to Benguet Corporation.

I must say that all miners from Benguet Corporation hold Notre Dame dearly in their hearts but that’s another story.

My sister literally lived in that hospital during the last five years of her life. We've seen love stories between nurses and doctors happen. Now if you are from Baguio, you would know the love story of the late Dr. Calogne but I am not going to tell you about that here. Dra Calogne must have been the most well known and oldest OB Gyne in Baguio and I have come to know her because she was my mother's OB in my mother's childrearing days. We are 7 siblings in the family and she looked after all of us.

Of course the hospital hired beautiful nurses too although I heard they weren't paid well. Who would be in the Philippines anyway? What about the good looking doctors from Manila for internship?

30 Comments:

Anonymous said...

Where was Notre Dame de Lourdes Hospital located? I spent 5 years of my life in Baguio attending school at SLU(more partying than schooling I think hehehe). Anyway, the reason I'm asking is I couldnt quite remember this hospital. The only ones I know of were SLU and the General Hospital.

Anonymous, it is located along General Luna Road, slightly behind SLU Laboratory Elementary School pre 1990 earthquake. I heard though that of course there were changes to SLU's set-up now so much so that the College of Education has now moved to the Lab and the hospital is now a diagnostic center and the Lab has moved to Pacdal. Unless you've been hospitalized there, you wouldn't know this place if you're not a local of Baguio. I'd say it is hidden and it's not something that is very exposed tp you unless you lived along Bonifacio Road or Happy Glen Loop.

If I remember correctly, College of Ed was below the Gym and next to the library. I've forgotten the name of the building now but there was also a canteen there where the "in-crowd" would hang out hehehe.

No I couldn't say that I've ever lived along Bonifacio Rd or Happy Glenn Loop, there were only 3 places I stayed in during my time in Baguio, SLU men's dorm, a boarding house behind the Eng'g bldg, and an apartment on Tabora. Although I never knew the place, I think it's sad when something which holds a lot of memories for you becomes just another part of history.

That's right, Burgos! and you even used the right term--burgis hehehe. Otto Hahn only on my 1st 2 years then I transferred to the College of Commerce where my gf then was also going. You must be from Otto Hahn from what I can tell by another post of yours here. Reading your blog brings back a lot of memories for me, mostly fun and good =) Thanks! :)

Hanga talaga ako sa memory mo, Ting. We were looking through old photos yesterday, while we were home due to the snow, and I found an ancient photo of Session Road and thought about you. I'll post it on our other blog at http://jmomsoldies.blogspot.com/ tonight when I get home. I think you'll get a kick out of it. You'll probably remember the landmarks better than I do too.

You're right about Notre Dame being a hidden treasure in Baguio. Only the ones in the know go there. It always seemed so peaceful with the nuns floating around.

I was just browsing the net when I saw your blog on Notre Dame Hospital. I practically grew up there until I was 13 y/o when my dad passed away. My dad worked there at the hospital as an x-ray technicial all his life and Notre Dame being so close to SLU elementary and boys high and the university at that, we (my older bro's and my only sis)would all have lunch there and it was also our meeting place after school so we can all go home at the same time. I loved playing at garden at the back side of the Hospital and like you said they did have a beautiful garden... to anonymous, when did you stay at Albertus Magnus Hall? My brother was the first director at the men's dorm when it first opened in 1976 I think... my name by the way is Mike Marasigan, graduated SLUBHS class of '75 attended SLU for 2 years before coming over to the states and worked at the School Library as secretary to Mr. Manantan chief Librarian at that time.

I remember the hospital pretty well being admitted there quite a couple of times when I was a kid. My youngest sister (who's in College now) was actually delivered by Dra. Calogne. By the way I enjoy your blog. 'Was born and raised in Baguio and I really miss the city.

I am sad to learn that Notre Dame closed after the 1990 Baguio earthquake. I had good memories there as a Post Graduate Medical Intern for the Medical Center Manila (MCM) back in 1987. MCM back then had an arrangement to assign its corp of post graduate medical interns to rotate for one month at Notre Dame. Everybody looked forward to the Baguio rotation - woh wouldnt?

I would remember the hospital as very clean and organized. The food was superb and not your stereotyped hospital fare. The nuns were strict when it came to the 11 PM curfew, but I vividly remember we had ways to go around (or should I say in!) the strict rule. Unfortunately I contacted chicken pox from one of the patients I attended to at Notre Dame and had to be in isolation for a week in one of the rooms in a separate wing below where the operating suites were. Yes, I remember the nuns singing in the chapel every morning and how we'd wake up early to attend mass at the hospital chapel.

Well that was then. In retro, my rotation at Notra Dame de Lourdes was a good one - notwithstanding the chicken pox exposure and an unfortunate run-in with a demanding patient who I was told later was a prominent Baguio matriarch. Ahh, those Baguio memories.

Message for my Dear friend Doctor Adrian Calera of Notre Dame De Lourdes Hospital General Luna Street Baguio City. Dear Adrian Thank you for all your help to Mercy and my beloved Cecille.Can you please tell Mama Mercy that I am praying for her speedy recovery and miss her very much and the same to my 1 Love Cecilia Daily. Adrian thank you for all your help in visiting in person.I am working hard in order to send monies to My Huny, and to have a holiday again when God permits. Keep up the good work.If Mercy is still there in Hospital tell her I miss her and wish I am by her side.Te same for my Lady Cecille.If she'e gone home allready please tell cecille or mama on thir next visit i emailed.PLease make sure cecille has her anti-epileptic meds, I bought Rivotril in Curamed in the Market Branch and the small 1 opposite station 5 Marcos Hiway it requires yellow pad.That was her medecine prescribed in 97 by Irmshire and i ask to please find where she can get it or if you could buy it then she will buy it from you.It is available in The palenke branch.Thanks again.back to sleep then work tommorow.Godbless you.Robbieemail me anytime at robertrudwick@yahoo.co.uk

Notre Dame houses some of the best doctors in Baguio,and the Philippines.My fiance and members of her family have been admitted there and ALLWAYS the treatment is outstanding.The staff are extremely compassionate, kind, understanding and it has all the facilities needed.Keep up the good workmay god bless the hospital, it's staff, Nuns, and Doctors.A true haven for patients who are treated so well by extra special staffMabuhay Notre Dame.....robertrudwick@yahoo.co.uk

Hi Ting-aling,I was fascinated by your information on Notre Dame de Lourdes Hospital. Actually, I came across your site while googling for Baguio. I'm in the process of writing a book about my father's aviation career in China from 1929 to 1939 and again 1947 to 1950. My interest in Baguio stems from the fact I was born there in 1937, Dr. Reed delivering me. I was back once in 1939 but never again, unfortunately.Thanks for the information.

hi everyone..call me burthmay, I am a graduate of slu college of law 1997 altho i enrolled in slu for the first time in 1987 with id number 510231, college of educ.I was lucky to be employed in 1993 at slu up to the present. I was also a dorm staff at men's dorm from 1993-1998 and i am a true blue magnusian.lots of changes now going on.at present notre dame is still in the same location it was and is just beside slu laboratory school. the gonzaga campus is now occupied by college of law,educ and nursing. the burgos bldg is now the administration bldg.

If you are looking for a clean and well managed hospital in Baguio City, it would be Notre Dame. From the Nuns, to my Dr, to all the staffers it takes to operate this great hospital, my wife and I would like to thank you all for your excellent care of me while I was there for a 7 day stay recently. Being from another country, if I need hospital care again, we will be back there for sure. Thank you again.

my sister and i were nurses' at notre dame hospital from 1980 to 1988. dr. bugayong was our beloved medical diretor and sister loranz was our director of nursing. i am so proud to be a part of this hospital as filipino nurses' are considered the most hard working nurses here in las vegas. thanks ting-aling for putting up this web site.... by the way, the nurses from the east usa constantly holds reunion for former notre nurses.

HI Ting-Aling! I came across this site while surfing the net. After i read this, it reminds me of my days in NDLH. Mostly happy memories. Our group outings, like eating breakfast after night duty. Usually its sinangag,tuyo,itlog at minsan my ham pa. Once in a while some of us will go to Disco in Hyatt Hotel, or go to the bar and listen to the band sing. Very memorable din ang trip to la Union beach right after duty ng 7-3shift and then the ff day night duty naman. I worked there as a nurse fr middle 80's until it closed.I'm still in contact with some of the nurses. We sometimes reminisce about the old times. Thanks for making this website.

am trying to establish the circumstances of my birth. according to my certificate of live birth, I was born at the Notre Dame de Lourdes Hospital on Oct. 23, 1940 my father's name is Maximo Nocete then a captain in the Phil. Constabulary. while may mother is Amelia Nocete, a housewife. I am trying to apply for a late registration of birth at the National Statistics Office because that Office does not have a record of my birth. I wonder if it would be possible to search the archives of said hospital to attest to the fact of birth there. Any help extend on this matter will be highly appreciated. Thank you and God bless.

Oh this is where I started my nursing career. Sadly, I was one of the nurses when the earthquake hit Baguio and Notre closed. I lived at the dorms, worked and lived Notre. I remember it as the best, exclusive hospital where celebrities would go -- Benjie Paras, Alma Moreno's mom (I privately nursed her and I was paid damn well). I remember all the interns from Manila, the nurses who slowly trickled as they all went to the U.S. The PMA cadet patients, Emilio Aguinaldo's son who was so generous he slipped 100 pesos everyday to every nurse. Yes the hospital charged a lot, but the patients kept coming. The workers from Benguet. My best memories of the Philippines are from my time at another and Baguio... I miss the place and I'm happy to hear it had re-opened. Someday I will go back to the Philippines and definitely go see Notre.